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Synonyms

plaintiff

American  
[pleyn-tif] / ˈpleɪn tɪf /

noun

Law.

  1. a person who brings suit in a court (defendant ).

plaintiff British  
/ ˈpleɪntɪf /

noun

  1. Now replaced by: claimant.  (formerly) a person who brings a civil action in a court of law Compare defendant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
plaintiff Cultural  

  1. The party that institutes a suit in a court. The person or entity the plaintiff sues is the defendant.

Other Word Forms

  • plaintiffship noun

Etymology

Origin of plaintiff

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English plaintif “complaining person,” noun use of the adjective; plaintive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A Los Angeles jury determined last month that Meta and Google intentionally designed their social-media platforms to be addictive, harming the mental health of a plaintiff in childhood.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

The Oregon law provides that a plaintiff “shall receive statutory damages in an amount of $6,250 per incident,” which could be each individual postcard sent to a union member.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Many have sued AI firms, alleging copyright infringement; in fact, Disney is a plaintiff in some of that litigation.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The plaintiff at the heart of the case was only known by her first name Kaley, and after nine days of deliberation, the jurors agreed with her on all counts.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

“I was right next to the plaintiff when this incident occurred,” Danny says, standing next to me.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.